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Giant Scorpion
The giant scorpion (Pulmonoscorpius) is a large extinct scorpion native to Carboniferous Scotland. Nigel Marven rescued one for Prehistoric Park. It currently resides in the park's Bug House along with the Meganeura and Arthropleura. The scorpion's venom, evolved for taking out small insects and tetrapods, is not fatal or even dangerous to humans, though it does of course sting. Physical appearance and biology The giant scorpion was, as its name suggests, far larger than any modern-day scorpion; growing to seventy centimetres, or twenty-eight inches, long. Its body was rather flat. The scorpions' claws were long and thin, a telltale sign of a venomous scorpion. The claws, as well as the stinger, were both a relatively bright red, another warning sign. The main portion of its body, however, was coloured a deep black, with a red stripe running down the entirety of the middle of its back. Other than this, the giant scorpion was the same as modern scorpions; with a raised stinger and telson, pincers, a tough exoskeleton, and eight legs. Scorpions are also known to glow when exposed to certain wavelengths of ultraviolet light such as that produced by a black light, due to the presence of fluorescent chemicals in the cuticle. One such fluorescent component is known to be beta-carboline. Behaviour and traits The giant scorpion senses movement using small hairs; if a victim is still, the scorpion will not notice, and therefore not attack it. The scorpion's venom evolved specifically to kill small animals such as lizards, amphibians, and smaller insects. Because of this adaptation, the venom is not fatal or even slightly dangerous for humans. The only real effect it causes in humans- or any larger animal -is pain and minor to moderate swelling in the stung area. As noted above, scorpions are known to glow when exposed to certain wavelengths of ultraviolet light such as that produced by a black light, due to the presence of fluorescent chemicals in the cuticle. In Prehistoric Park The Bug House When Nigel Marven is in the Carboniferous, he searches around the campsite after a thunderstorm, in the middle of the night.. He finds a giant scorpion nearly a meter long, its shell fluorescing. He films it, but his camera work is shaky and he would need the team's cameraman to take good footage. The scorpion then begins crawling onto Jim's bed, and looks as if it may sting him when he twitches in his sleep. Nigel grabs it by the tail end, and it nips him with its pincers. He lets it go away from the camp. This wakes Jim, and Nigel explains to Jim what happened. Nigel later looks for the scorpion, to take back to the park. He finds it under a half casing of a rotted-out fallen lycopsid log. It has thin claws, so Nigel is worried, because with scorpions small claws mean big sting. He holds its attention with a thin stick and works his a hand behind it and grabs its telson, just in front of its sting. As he puts it in a dog carrier, it stings the back of his right hand as he lets it go. After Nigel rescues the Meganeura, scorpion, and Arthropleura, taking them through the time portal during a forest fire (with the help of the Bob and the titanosaur herd), Nigel goes to see Head Vet Suzanne about the sting inflicted by the scorpion. Since the venom is designed to bring down smaller animals, it is not deadly to people. Once it is placed in its new home, Bob goes to see the giant insects inside the Bug House he struggled to build, the scorpion among them. Image gallery Behind the scenes List of appearances *''Prehistoric Park'' **105 The Bug House Category:Animals Category:Arthropods Category:Animals from Europe Category:Animals in Prehistoric Park Category:Animals in the Park Category:Animals in The Bug House Category:Carnivorous animals Category:Animals from the Carboniferous Category:Invertebrates Category:Animals encountered by Nigel Marven Category:Animals from Great Britain